"Do it like Baek-hyun," Cha Ga-won's side reveals Lee Seung-gi's KakaoTalk messages... 'Jeonse fraud' truth battle continues [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

Cha Ga-won, Chairman of Fierce Group and representative of the One Hundred Label, has addressed the controversy surrounding the jeonse (lease deposit) dispute with singer and actor Lee Seung-gi.

Cha Ga-won's legal representative, lawyer Hyun Dong-yeop, discussed the jeonse contract controversy involving Lee Seung-gi and Cha (Chairman) via his YouTube channel on the 11th.

On that day, lawyer Hyun stated regarding the high-end villa Ranovo in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, that became the subject of controversy: "Unit 101 is owned by Cha (Chairman) and their spouse, and Baek-hyun moved in as a jeonse tenant in the second half of 2023 instead of receiving an exclusive contract fee."

He continued, "A narrative was created that because the units were not sold, the entertainment business was launched to place affiliated celebrities there to resolve the unsold inventory situation, but that is not the case." He further claimed, "While Lee Seung-gi was negotiating an exclusive contract, he said, 'I want to do it like Baek-hyun.'"

He added, "It seems he is speaking on the premise that he did not intend to receive Eterno as a settlement asset. However, that is not true. According to our records, the supplementary agreement attached to the exclusive contract we signed already mentions receiving Eterno as a settlement asset, and we understand that Ranovo is also included."

Lawyer Hyun stated, "This is a response to the formal notice Lee Seung-gi sent us. He claimed the 'appraised value was inflated' and 'it is fraud,' and it appears the media narrative has been framed as 'I thought the jeonse was 3 billion won and I moved in,' and 'I moved in because Cha (Chairman) suggested we support each other.' He then revealed Lee Seung-gi's KakaoTalk messages sent to Cha (Chairman)."

The messages contained Lee Seung-gi's statements to Cha (Chairman), such as "Thank you for letting me move into Ranovo" and "It feels more secure since we are living together."

Regarding Lee Seung-gi's side's claims, lawyer Hyun said, "This is nothing more than malicious defamation. However, I understand the jeonse contract was signed in August 2024. He said, 'I hope the appraisal goes well.' I would like to ask if he was hoping for an evaluation of 3 billion won."

He further stated, "Before H Industry paid the remaining balance, Cha (Chairman) acquired it by paying an extra 1 billion won and included Lee Seung-gi. At the time, this was an investment based on Lee Seung-gi's future value, given his poor image then. He reportedly said that since his housing was stable and a baby was born, the Brownstone was too small to live in. They call it jeonse fraud, but is it fraud to pay 3 billion won for a property worth 10 billion won, pay all the interest on the 7 billion won difference, and live there for two years?"

He also claimed, "This is not jeonse fraud, but exclusive contract fraud. I believe Lee Seung-gi, seeing the company in financial trouble, abandoned the company without loyalty and is committing fraud to terminate his exclusive contract."

In response to these claims, Lee Seung-gi's side stated, "Cha Ga-won's side is repeatedly making false claims and distorting the essence. We will reveal Cha Ga-won's criminal suspicions in detail through future investigations by institutional investors and hold them strictly accountable."

They further added, "Lee Seung-gi's termination of his exclusive contract is due to unsettled accounts. It was agreed that Cha (Chairman) would bear the management fees and offset them until the unsettled amounts were paid, but even that was overdue, so Lee Seung-gi paid the full amount. Lee Seung-gi also paid outstanding staff wages from his own funds. Cha Ga-won must prioritize fulfilling obligations as Gi Hoek-sa (CEO), including resolving unpaid wages and unsettled accounts for partner companies such as the laundry shop owner, employees, and affiliated artists. If Cha Ga-won denies that this is jeonse fraud, they should simply fulfill their natural obligation as a landlord by properly returning the jeonse deposit upon the upcoming expiration of the jeonse contract."

One Hundred Label recently faced issues of unpaid wages due to financial difficulties. Numerous reports of unpaid wages were received from affiliated staff, and affiliated artists have also been declaring terminations of their exclusive contracts one after another, leading to ongoing fallout.

In response, the Ministry of Employment and Labor has also launched an investigation. It is understood that the Ministry of Employment and Labor has been sequentially conducting investigations and labor supervision regarding overall wage arrears at One Hundred Label and two affiliated companies since May.

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*This content was translated by AI.